


lunar interlude: epilogue

by abaze



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, Spoilers for everything, happy endings, i just want taako to be happy pls, taako-centric but not strictly about him i guess, written before ep 69
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-15 13:03:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11806548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abaze/pseuds/abaze
Summary: after everything, taako can be happy.(reunions, introductions, and hand-holding.)





	lunar interlude: epilogue

**Author's Note:**

> i banged out this piece in like thirty minutes last night because i was thinking about the finale. it was originally going to be more comical and about taako introducing everyone to lup & kravitz, but i got distracted i guess. anyway, it got a little sappy at the end. heres to griffin giving us the good gay ending we deserve.

After everything, the first thing that happens is Lucretia. She apologizes again for what she had to do, what she had no choice but to persue. Merle laughs and Magnus hugs her once more and there is relieved tears and smiling. It's all over, and she is loved. There is still a glimmer of doubt in her eye, but she is surrounded by her friends and after so many years, there is little more she can ask for.

When they get back, the moon base is rowdy with the sound of cheering and celebration, goblets glittering in the midnight light. Wounds are bandaged up and stories explained. The BOB members are exuberant with joy at seeing the seven figures (once robed in red), and they flock to ask questions and offer congratulatory mead. Casualties are relayed in silent breath, and victory stories recounted in vivid detail. Everyone is exhausted so the night ends early. 

Taako, Magnus, and Merle are glad to find that their dormitory has escaped the worst of the damage-- there are cracks in the walls but the beds are still in one piece and the blankets only slightly ruffled. Magnus pulls out some sleeping bags and Lup raids the next-door dorm for spare mattresses. After some re-arranging, the IPRE crew sleeps together for the first time in decades. It's peaceful and soft and just as it should be.

-

When morning comes, Taako finds Kravitz waiting outside the dormitory. The reaper is nervous and red-faced, and Taako immediately takes Kravitz's hand in his and revels in the moment, a quiet minute of being happy and alive and holding the most beautiful person in the world. Kravitz laughs. Taako thinks he should too, but he's trying not to cry of relief, so he watches with a shaky smile on his face. It's all over, at last. 

Lup finds them like that in the hallway a moment later, with their hands intertwined, and she elbows Taako-- _and you thought me and Barry were mushy_. Taako takes the moment to reintroduce Lup and Kravitz (a short wave on a battle-torn planar portal doesn't count). Lup makes another quip about fantasy Ghost Rider and Kravtiz laughs politely before accepting her high-five. Taako might just explode if any more of his favorite people appear and start being so endearing.

Lup asks Taako if he knows where the cafeteria is, and he takes it as an invitation to give Kravtiz and Lup both a tour of the BOB headquarters which had become his home (away from home) in the last year. On their way to the mess hall, they cross paths with Carey and Killian, who are both slightly bandaged and worn out but looking healthy and chipper. The two regulators exchange surprised glances at the sight of Lup, who still looks remarkably identical to Taako, despite her shorter hair and contrasting piercings. They know who she is, of course, but she's still a sight to behold and who knew that Taako-- obnoxious, lovable, untrusting Taako-- had a fiery sister with just as little impulse control as he had? Short introductions are made and Kravitz looks uncomfortable at first, but the girls take to him and Lup like ducks to water. Carey compliments Taako for landing such a sweet guy and Lup admires Killian's crossbow. When Lup opens her mouth to tell an embarrassing story about her dumb idiot brother, Taako figures its time to go and drags his sister and boyfriend onward towards the cafeteria. Killian and Carey wave as they go. 

They meet Avi in the mess hall. He's sitting alone at a table with a magically-reinforced cast on his wrist and he gestures heartily at Lup and Taako with his unharmed hand, inviting them to sit with him. Lup tries to give Avi a fistbump but he declines politely, telling the trio to get some food before Magnus and Carey arrive to decimate the BOB's ration supply. Kravitz explains awkwardly to Taako that he doesn't need sustenance and instead waits by the table with Avi as the twins get plates stacked with bread rolls and sausages. When Taako returns, Kravitz has introduced himself to Avi and the two are exchanging halting but polite conversation. Avi has his mouth open, about to ask Kravitz how he and Taako met, when there's a shout of "HIS SISTER IS HERE, TOO?", and the four turn their heads to watch Leon crumple into a miserable mess at the cafeteria doors. Lup can barely hold in her laughter as Taako explains, innocently, his unfortunate experiences with the Fantasy Gashapon, and Kravitz looks torn between helping the poor gnome and joining Lup. 

Merle and Magnus arrive some time later, with wrinkled shirts and ruffled hair, but bright smiles and crinkled eyes. They seat themselves at the table and greet Avi briefly before leaving to get breakfast. Merle brings back a bowl of congee and Magnus hefts to the table a tray laden with every type of meal item the cafeteria has. It's a sight that Taako almost misses, and he's hit with the incredible domesticity of it all. 

Suddenly, the cafeteria doors are struck down with a mighty sound, and heads everywhere turn to see two dark figures shrouded by morning light-- one stout, and one tall. There's stunned silence before Hurley's voice rings out, "We're back, boys!" and cheering erupts from Taako's table, Magnus jumping up to embrace the dryads and Merle exploding into celebratory jazz hands. Taako is overwhelmed with happiness and he tries not to show it, but it leaks through his wide smile and glimmering eyes. The girls are ushered to what was formerly Avi's table, and Magnus excitedly recounts to Lup and Kravitz the wild battlewagon race Tres Horny Boys had run with Hurley so many moons ago. Lup goes to introduce herself gleefully to the two dryads but they cut her off with wide grins, exclaiming, "We know, we know!" and promising to recruit her into their battlewagon crew someday. Sloane remarks that Lup's umbrastaff is a piece of arcanic genius, citing the incredible fireball that had burst out of its tip in the desert, and Lup says, "Oh, that was me" just as Taako notes that the staff had been destroyed. Sloane looks simultaneously put off and bewildered, and Hurley laughs before dragging her partner off to the cafeteria for morning snacks.

After breakfast Taako and Kravitz apologetically (at least, on Kravtiz's end; Taako is anything but) extract themselves from Magnus and company for some alone time. The two encounter Robbie on their way back to the dorm, and while the halfling seems worse for the wear, he is nursing a can of Pringles and he looks delighted. He is surprised to learn who Kravitz is, but he accepts it quietly and smiles wanly at the couple. "Have fun," he waves cheekily as he leaves them to their business. 

Kravitz leaves after lunch, regretfully recalling some duties he had with the Raven Queen, but promises to return by tomorrow at the latest. Alone, Taako wanders the base absentmindedly, idly eying the cracked dome walls and the rubble, silent reminders of the apocalypse they almost didn't survive. _It's all over now, though, and they've won._

He meets up with his other IPRE crew mates an hour later, catching up together for a long-due reunion. They take turns recounting their journeys on Faerun, though there are large swaths of story silently omitted to avoid bringing up tragedy in a moment of peace. The time to heal wounds would come later. Magnus talks about working in a carpentry shop, Merle describes his beach-side house, and Taako recounts his stories of fame. They tell tales together, as well; Magnus embellishes the mystery of the Rockport Limited Murders and Merle imitates Magic Brian's horrific accent, while Taako interjects helpfully along the way. Barry jokes about the team's embarrassingly-weak combat skills in the goblin cave near the foothills of Phandalin and Lup adds that he wasn't exactly helpful himself, either. There is laughing and companionable silence and and a quiet, lovable afternoon.

It's all over.


End file.
